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dittany

[ dit-n-ee ]
/ ˈdɪt n i /
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noun, plural dit·ta·nies.
a Cretan plant, Origanum dictamnus, of the mint family, having spikes of purple flowers and formerly believed to have medicinal qualities.
Also called stone mint. a North American plant, Cunila origanoides, of the mint family, bearing clusters of purplish flowers.
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Origin of dittany

1350–1400; Middle English ditane, detany<Old French dita(i)n<Latin dictamnus, dictamnum<Greek díktamnon, perhaps akin to Díktē, a mountain in Crete where the herb abounded
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use dittany in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dittany

dittany
/ (ˈdɪtənɪ) /

noun plural -nies
an aromatic Cretan plant, Origanum dictamnus, with pink drooping flowers: formerly credited with great medicinal properties: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
Also called: stone mint a North American labiate plant, Cunila origanoides, with clusters of purplish flowers
another name for gas plant

Word Origin for dittany

C14: from Old French ditan, from Latin dictamnus, from Greek diktamnon, perhaps from Diktē, mountain in Crete
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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